1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tissue specimen collection device for collecting fluid-borne tissue specimens from a body. More specifically, the present invention relates to a tissue specimen collection and separation device for use within a suction collection and drainage apparatus and with a suction source to withdraw and separate tissue specimens from body fluids of a patient.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is often desirable to isolate tissue specimen from the body of a human or animal patient for pathological analysis. Many times, however, the tissue specimen is not easily obtained from the patient, either because of where it is situated or because it is present within a body fluid and, therefore, difficult to isolate. A common method for isolating from the patient a specimen of tissue that is present within a body fluid is by removing a sample of the body fluid from the patient using suction, so as to collect a sample of the fluid containing the desired solid tissue specimen, and by straining the fluid sample using a straining medium to isolate the tissue specimen.
Devices have been developed to create suction and provide drainage of the fluid with the tissue specimen from the human or animal patient's body. Some such devices may include a collection container or canister with a liner or strainer operatively coupled to a vacuum source. Some such devices may also include a tissue specimen trap that is connected between the patient and the collection container in order to separate the tissue specimen from the body fluid.
For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,197 (Greene et al.), a tissue collection and separation apparatus has separate fluid collection and tissue specimen trap containers. A first tube connects the fluid collection container to a source of suction, a second tube connects the fluid collection container to the specimen trap container, and a third tube connects the specimen trap container to an endoscope that aspirates the tissue specimen and fluid from the patient and transmits them to the specimen trap container. A filter is supported across the specimen trap container to selectively receive and collect the tissue specimen from the body fluid or permit passage therethrough of body fluids, when suction is applied to the apparatus.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,418 (Shepard), the tissue collection and separation apparatus also has separate fluid and tissue collection containers, the fluid collection container coupled to a suction source and the tissue collection container coupled between the patient and the fluid collection container. The tissue collection container has at least one tissue collection basket removably disposed therein above a fluid collection zone and has a separator bottom to separate the tissue specimens from the body fluids. When body fluids and tissue specimen from the patient are received in the tissue collection basket, the tissue specimens are retained therein for subsequent removal and the body fluids are allowed to flow to the fluid collection zone for collection and removal to the fluid collection container.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,244,236 (Merkle) teaches a specimen trapping container within a tissue collection and separation apparatus, having at least a container forming a chamber with a porous strainer affixed across the chamber to provide fluidic communication between upper and lower chamber portions. A tube coupled to the patient passes through the cap, and another tube coupled to a suction source a fluid collection container extends through the cap and through the strainer into the lower portion. The cap is rotatable with respect to the container to form communication between one of several specimen compartments and the one tube connection passage for collection of an independent specimen.
It is desirable to provide a tissue specimen trapping device to be used in medical procedures to enable collection and separation of solid particles (e.g., tissue specimen) from within body fluids suctioned from a patient.